The present invention relates to a multimedia information collection control apparatus and a method to collect information of each kind of multimedia and to relationally store the multimedia information as accessible personal data.
As an equipment to record a still image, for example, a digital still camera is widely used. Some digital still cameras include a function to attach an annotation such as a record date and a user""s speach to the still image. Furthermore, as an equipment to record a dynamic image, for example, a digital movie is widely used. Some digital movies includes not only a function to record the dynamic image with a sound but also a function to attach the annotation such as the record date and a title. In above-mentioned equipment to collect multimedia information of the prior art, each kind of the multimedia information is collected. However, the process to store the multimedia information in a database, i.e., an arrangement, an editing, an extraction, a relation of the multimedia information, requires the user""s help. Accordingly, the effort to create the multimedia database consumes the labor of the user.
As mentioned-above, in a multimedia information collection equipment of the prior art, each kind of the multimedia information is collected. However, in order to compose the multimedia database, the user must take the trouble to do various kinds of operation, such as the arrangement, the editing, the extraction, and the relation of the multimedia information. In short, the user""s burden greatly increases to compose the multimedia database.
Accordingly, it is desired that collected multimedia information is arranged and related without the user""s effort. Furthermore, a development of the technique to compose the multimedia database able to variously retrieve data is generally desired.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a multimedia information collection control apparatus and a method to automatically arrange, edit, extract, and relate various kinds of the multimedia information and to easily compose the multimedia database.
According to the present invention, there is provided a multimedia information collection control apparatus, comprising: multimedia information collection unit configured to collect information from more than one kind of medium (multimedia information); multimedia correspondence memory configured to correspondingly store multimedia information collected by said multimedia information collection unit; information recognition unit configured to recognize the multimedia information stored in said multimedia correspondence memory, and to analyze the multimedia information as personal data according to the recognition result; and multimedia database configured to relationally store the multimedia information as the personal data analyzeded by said information recognition unit.
Further in accordance with the present invention, there is also provided a method for controlling collection of multimedia information, comprising the steps of: collecting information from more than one kind of medium; correspondingly storing multimedia information collected at the collecting step; recognizing the multimedia information stored at the storing step; analyzing the multimedia information as personal data according to the recognition result; and relationally storing the multimedia information as the personal data analyzed at the analyzing step.
Further in accordance with the present invention, there is also provided a computer readable memory containing computer readable instructions to control collection of multimedia information, comprising: an instruction means for causing a computer to collect information from more than one kind of medium; an instruction means for causing a computer to correspondingly store multimedia information collected; an instruction means for causing a computer to recognize the multimedia information stored; an instruction means for causing a computer to analyze the multimedia information as personal data according to the recognition result; and an instruction means for causing a computer to relationally store the multimedia information as the personal data analyzed.